Optimizing radiation dose to overlapping structures
Granted: November 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10828509
In radiation therapy, treatment objectives applicable to different identified structures in a patient's body (e.g., a target structure and an organ at risk (OAR)) may conflict due to overlap between the structures. Automated systems and methods can detect and resolve such conflicts. For example, a set of modified regions that do not overlap with each other can be defined, and a modified treatment objective for each modified region can be determined based on the original treatment…
Systems and methods for providing medical information and for performing a medically-related process using augmented reality technology
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10825251
An apparatus for use in a medical process that involves a particle accelerator, includes: a processing unit configured to obtain medical information, obtain a viewing direction of a user of the apparatus, and process the medical information based on the viewing direction of the user of the apparatus to create a graphical representation of the medical information for presentation to the user of the apparatus; and a screen for displaying the graphical representation.
Radiation treatment based on dose rate
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10814144
A dose rate-volume histogram can be generated for a target volume. The dose rate-volume histogram can be stored in computer system memory and used to generate a radiation treatment plan. The radiation treatment plan can be used as the basis for treating a patient using a radiation treatment system.
Medical systems with patient supports
Granted: October 20, 2020
Patent Number:
10806409
A patient supporting device includes: a base configured to translate in a room; a first member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first member is rotatably coupled to the base so that the first member is rotatable relative to the base about a first vertical axis; a second member having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the second member is rotatably coupled to the second end of the first member so that the second member is rotatable…
Streamlined, guided on-couch adaptive workflow
Granted: October 13, 2020
Patent Number:
10799716
Systems and methods for implementing an adaptive therapy workflow that minimizes time needed to create a session patient model, select an appropriate plan for the treatment session, and treat the patient.
Aggregation of artificial intelligence (AI) engines
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10796793
Example methods and systems for generating an aggregated artificial intelligence (AI) engine for radiotherapy treatment planning are provided. One example method may include obtaining multiple AI engines associated with respective multiple treatment planners; generating multiple sets of output data using the multiple AI engines associated with the respective multiple treatment planners: comparing the multiple AI engines associated with the respective multiple treatment planners based on…
Automatic generation of radiation treatment plan optimization objectives
Granted: October 6, 2020
Patent Number:
10792514
Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments a memory stores prescribed treatment instructions for a particular patient radiation therapy. Those treatment instructions specify clinical metrics for goals pertaining to at least one treatment volume for the particular patient. Either directly or inferentially those clinical metrics are prioritized. A control circuit automatically converts those treatment instructions into resultant radiation treatment plan optimization…
Method and apparatus for performing irradiation time optimization for intensity modulated proton therapy during treatment planning while maintaining acceptable irradiation plan quality
Granted: September 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10786687
A computer implemented method of determining a resultant treatment plan for a proton radiation therapy system based on given dose volume constraints, wherein the resultant treatment plan is optimized for treatment time comprises accessing the dose volume constraints and range information, wherein the range information indicates acceptable deviations from the dose volume constraints. Based on the proton radiation therapy system, the method further comprises accessing machine configuration…
System and method for estimating and manipulating estimated radiation dose
Granted: September 15, 2020
Patent Number:
10773101
Methods are provided for permitting manipulation of an achievable dose distribution estimate deliverable by a radiation delivery apparatus for proposed treatment of a subject. One such method comprises: determining a dose modification voxel for which it is desired to modify the dose value and a corresponding magnitude of desired dose modification; for each of a plurality of beams: (i) characterizing the beam as a two-dimensional array of beamlets, wherein each beamlet is associated with…
LINAC simulator
Granted: September 15, 2020
Patent Number:
10776534
A LINear particle ACcelerator (LINAC) simulator employs a Monte Carlo-based use of repeated random sampling to produce a simulated result representing use of a particular physical medical-services LINAC with particular corresponding real-world parameters. A browser-based user opportunity permits uploading at least some of those real-world parameters to employ when using the LINAC simulator to produce the simulated result. By one approach the browser-based user opportunity includes, at…
Radiation therapy system with follow-the-lights user interface
Granted: September 8, 2020
Patent Number:
10765889
At each step of a workflow performed by an operator that involves a plurality of input mechanisms in a radiation therapy system, the operator is assisted in the process of selecting the next input mechanism in a way that greatly reduces the number of possible input mechanisms that can be chosen. A first subset of input mechanisms is made visually prominent via a first visual technique and a second subset of the input mechanisms is made visually prominent via a second visual technique.…
Decision support tool for choosing treatment plans
Granted: September 1, 2020
Patent Number:
10762167
Patient data can be used to determine input values to different estimation functions for different treatment types. The estimation functions can each be used to estimate one or more outcome values for the respective treatment. A quality score can be determined using the outcome value(s). A first treatment plan having an optimal quality score can be identified, e.g., by displaying the treatment plans with the quality scores, which may correspond to the outcome values.
Apparatus to facilitate the administration of a knowledge-based radiation treatment plan
Granted: August 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10744342
A control circuit accesses information regarding a plurality of pre-existing vetted radiation treatment plans for a variety of patients and uses that information to train at least one model (such as a dose volume histogram estimation model). The control circuit then uses that model to develop estimates for a radiation treatment plan for a particular patient. The control circuit can then use those estimates to develop a candidate radiation treatment plan.
System and method for determining position and orientation of depth cameras
Granted: August 11, 2020
Patent Number:
10742956
A system for determining positional information of a camera, includes: a plane determination module configured to determine a first plane and a second plane based on a depth image; a plane-association module configured to associate the first plane determined by the plane determination module with a first tool-plane, and to associate the second plane determined by the plane determination module with a second tool-plane, the first and second tool-planes having known positional relationship…
Image fusion in multi-layer flat panel imager
Granted: August 11, 2020
Patent Number:
10739473
An imaging apparatus includes: a first scintillator layer configured to provide first image signals with a first quantum efficiency and a first spatial resolution; a second scintillator layer configured to provide second image signals with a second quantum efficiency and a second spatial resolution, wherein the first quantum efficiency is lower than the second quantum efficiency, but the first spatial resolution is higher than the second spatial resolution; and an image combiner…
Systems and methods for patient position monitoring
Granted: August 11, 2020
Patent Number:
10737118
A method of monitoring a patient includes: obtaining an input image having a plurality of regions of interest by a processing unit; and determining a plurality of positions for the respective plurality of regions of interest by the processing unit; wherein the act of determining the plurality of positions comprises: accessing a plurality of templates; comparing the plurality of templates with respective areas in the input image using a comparator in the processing unit; and determining…
Systems and methods for quantifying radiation beam conformity
Granted: August 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10729920
A method for quantifying radiation beam conformity includes: obtaining first information regarding a prescribed aperture; obtaining second information regarding an actual aperture defined by components of a collimator; and determining, using a processing unit, a metric based on the first information regarding the prescribed aperture and the second information regarding the actual aperture, wherein the metric indicates an amount of over-exposed aperture area, an amount of under-exposed…
Systems and methods for generating beam-specific planning target volume design outputs
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10722730
System includes a beam generator to generate beam(s) for patient treatment and a computing device that obtains three-dimensional image(s) of a target structure that repositions with respect to surrounding tissue of the patient. The computing device creates plan(s) including a first three-dimensional probability distribution of patient's position and a second three-dimensional probability distribution of the repositioned structure's internal position. The computing device combines the…
Rotatable cantilever gantry in radiotherapy system
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10722736
A proton beam therapy system with a cantilever gantry. The cantilever gantry has one end portion (the fixed end portion) affixed to an external structure that supports the weight of the gantry. The remainder of the gantry is suspended and the free end portion is coupled to a beam nozzle. A main bearing is coupled to the fixed end portion and enables the gantry to rotate in a full range of 360° around the iso-center. A large counterweight can be disposed in the fixed end portion to keep…
Multi level multileaf collimator leaf tip shape effects and penumbra optimization
Granted: July 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10722732
A multi level multileaf collimator employs leaves with leaf tips having a non-square shape in a beam's eye view to improve beam shaping effect and penumbra performance. The multi level multileaf collimator includes a first multileaf collimator in a first level comprising beam blocking leaves longitudinally movable in a first direction, and a second multileaf collimator in a second level comprising beam blocking leaves longitudinally movable in a second direction. The first direction may…
